Why Every Woman Who Gives Birth Deserves Paid Leave

Happy National Women’s Health Week! The initiative, now in its 16th year, is led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health in an effort to empower women to make smart choices to improve their health. All week, prominent figures in the media and the government are blogging for WomensHealthMag.com about the importance of making healthy decisions. Today’s guest blogger is Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.

Ask the average woman to focus on her own health and she’ll reply with a question of her own: When?

More women work now than ever before, and our income is essential to supporting our families. At the same time, women remain the primary caregivers for our kids and, increasingly, our aging parents.

The modern-day balancing act is challenging enough. It becomes nearly impossible when routine life events—from new babies to ailing spouses to elderly parents to personal medical problems—take place. Suddenly, we are confronted with the choice of caring for ourselves and our loved ones, or earning a paycheck.

This Women’s Health Week, let’s talk not only about how to focus on our wellbeing, but also about how it’s long past time we made that wellbeing easier to achieve.

While the demographics of this country—who goes to work and how families make ends meet—have changed, our Mad Men-era workplace policies have not. The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world without some form of paid leave. Think about that: Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia offer a form of paid leave, but not America.

The employees who pay the steepest price for this are women. If you haven’t watched it already, John Oliver’s expert takedown of our country’s lack of paid leave is a must-see.

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The impact is devastating. Women lose $324,000 when they leave the workforce to assume full-time caregiving responsibilities. They have a harder time returning to the salary and position they had when they left. They are more likely to need public assistance. If they are low-wage workers, it’s even tougher to move above minimum wage—we call this the “sticky floor.”

We know that paid leave keeps women in the workforce and at their earning potential: Women eligible for leave are 40 percent more likely to return to work. And, we know that businesses like it too. California set up a statewide paid leave program, and a whopping 91 percent of employers there said it had either a positive effect or, at worst, no noticeable effect on their bottom lines.

It’s encouraging that states are taking a lead here, but access to a benefit this important shouldn’t depend on the state where you work and live.

I’ve introduced a bill called the FAMILY Act to guarantee every worker in America paid leave. It would be available to all new parents, to men and women, and to anyone who needs to take time off to care for a newborn child, a loved one who is sick, or themselves if ill. It would ensure that if you have to take time off for yourself or your family, you can still pay your bills. It won’t matter if you work full-time or part-time. It won’t matter if you work for a global corporation or a small business.

For about the cost of a cup of coffee each week, you’ll be eligible for the emergency leave funds you earned, for up to three months. And, this is an earned benefit that will travel with you wherever your career may take you.

This bill would give us all a little more time to care for our families and, yes, ourselves, without sacrificing a paycheck and ultimately, a career.

We need to make the FAMILY Act law so that next Women’s Health Week, we can focus on ways to enhance our wellbeing, instead of how to afford the time do it.

Kirsten Gillibrand was sworn in as U.S. Senator in January 2009 to serve the remainder of Secretary Clinton’s term. She was elected to a full term in 2012 by a statewide record 72 percent of voters.

In only a short time, Gillibrand has made her presence felt in the Senate. From fighting to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” to providing health care and compensation for 9/11 first responders, to reforming the military justice system and tackling the problem of sexual assaults on college campuses she has created unique bipartisan coalitions. Kirsten is a leading voice for policies that will help families earn their full economic potential, including paid family leave and affordable childcare—all while continuing her successful Off the Sidelines project that supports women candidates nationwide.

A New York Times bestselling author, she was named one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2014.

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